Apparatus for mounting filaments



y 1953 c'. R. MECKSTROTH ETAL 2,841,189

APPARATUS FOR MOUNTING FILAMENTS Filed June 1, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 32 I Figs. /3 f o Ml - *E X/ A 60 5 54 lnven torst Carl, R.Meckstrokh, Fw'ed J. Grube, Louis A. Demchock 511,

y Mrx Their- A t torneg.

1, 1958 c. R. MECKSTROTH ET AL 2,841,189

APPARATUS FOR MOUNTING FILAMENTS Filed June 1, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnven lrovs: Cavl, RMecks tro th,

Fved d. Grubs, Louis A.Demchocl S11, 9 W MW Their- A c torneg.

July 1, 1958 c. R. MECKSTROTH ETAL 2,8 8

APPARATUS FOR MOUNTING FILAMENTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 1, 1953 lnvervtov s ,k m IDO %uh w svck i MW e k Md V neA .I v e IbF n W C 5 United States ments of incandescent lamps and other'electrical' deviees of like construction. More particularly, our invention relatesto automatic apparatus for mounting the relatively long filaments used in rough service, vibrationproof and high-volt (220 volts) lamps wherein said filaments are draped between spaced groups of supportwires.

Heretofore, particularly long filaments, such as those used in high volt incandescent lamps, and those filaments draped "around complex arrangements of support wires,

such as those used in rough service and vibration proof incandescent lamps, have been mounted manually. It

is theprincipal object of our invention to provide for the automatic mounting 'of such lengthy filaments upon such complex support Wire arrangements.

Another object of our invention is to provide appara'tus for mounting a filament in an essentially zigzag fashion between support Wires in two planes spaced lon gitudinally along the axis of an incandescent lamp. The two-plane arrangement of support wires, which is characteristie of. a mount having a lengthy filament and rugged construction, is formed, in the present instance, by bending a single group of support wires extending "from an ar borbutton of the stem to the respective planes at the same time said support wires are curled around portions of the filament.

Another object of our invention is to provide apparatus for mounting a filament in a series of steps adapted to be performed at work stations along an indexed stem carrier. The step-by-step mounting operation enables the method to be performed at high speed and to be applied to the manufacture of lamp mounts having leads and support wires so closely arranged as to provide insufiicient clearance for other types of mounting apparatus. The step-by-step filame'ntmountihg method and apparatus is also best suited for incorporation in present'high speed apparatus making stems, the main supporting body of mounts, and inserting support wires into stem parts and performing still other mount-making operations.

Another object of our invention is to provide apparatus for mounting a filament in steps including at least two in which curling means, arranged to move vertically to and from operative relation to the mount, is caused to curl support wires about portions of a filament.

Still another object of our invention is to provide, in combination with the support Wire bending and curling mechanism at one work station, a filament-placing mechanism whereby the loop of the filament hanging from a pair of leads at one side of the stem is carried over to alignment with the axis of the stern and to proper operating relation to the respective heads of the bending and curling mechanism.

Still another object of our invention is to provide apparatus for causing a filament to be held upon support wires arrangedin cooperating pairs in two spaced planes along the longitudinal axis of a stern and said filament to take a castellated form wherein it is in a series of interatent g 2,841,189 Patented July 1, 1958 ice connected loops located in three sides of a "square and arranged in an almost complete circle about said axis.

I An example of our invention provides for the filament to'be formed into a loop at one workstation and, while so formed, to be incorporated into the mount assembly by being brought to mounting relation to leads of alamp stem and by having its ends clamped in hooks in said leads. mount takes place at another work station to which the now unitary stem and filament are advanced by an indexing movement of the stern supporting means. During the movement, the filament loop drops to a hahging position below the leads and then is brought into 'jo'pe rative relation to mechanisms at the second work station which performs the various operations of mounting certain spaced portions of said filament upon support wires extending from the stem. The manner of operation of the mechanisms at this second work station provides for the filament loop to be pushed sidewise and upward to a position roughly concentric with the longitudinal axis of the stem and then for a plurality of support wires radiating from a button on the axis of said stem to be bent to a specific plane and curled about spaced portions of the filament. The support wires are each engaged by one of the duplicate units making up the bending and curling mechanism which moves up into operative relation to the mount from a retracted position below the index path of movement of the stern.

The next mounting operation is performed at another succeeding work station to which the stem is advanced by the supporting means and consists of operations which effect the curling of a plurality of support wires about still other intermediate portions of the filament and which cause said portions to be held in a second plane along the axis of the stern. Although this last operation may com- 'plete the filament mounting operation, it is usually desirable for the support Wires in one or both planes to be adjusted laterally therein to produce the proper ten- "sion in the filament and to fix the position of the support wires properly.

Still other objects and features of our invention will appear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment and from the drawing.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 isa plan view of a portion of a lamp-making machine, including filament mounting apparatus comprising our invention and a carrier for'a'dvancing a lamp stem to operative relation to said apparatus. N

Figs. 2, 3, '4 and 5 are corresponding perspective views of lamp mounts in various stages of completion.

Figs. 6 and 7 are plan and side views, respectively, of the filament presenting and attaching mechanisms at their respective operative positions with respect to a lamp stem at work station A along the carrier.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a portion of the main drive and cam shaft of the lamp-making machine, said portion including the cams and operating means associated with the filament mounting apparatus.

Fig. 9 is a perspective View of the filament guides of the filament placing mechanism extending between work stations A and B and in association with the apparatus at said station B.

Fig. 10 is a plan view at almost full scale of the filament positioning and support wire bending and curling means comprising the mechanism at station B.

Fig. 11 is a vertical section, transverse to the path of movement of the stem, of the mount-making apparatus located at station B, the section including a view of the stem at the moment of its arrangement at station B and having the filament positioning means and the support The following step in the manufacture or the Wire bending and curling means of the apparatus turned into the plane of the section.

Fig. 12 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, of the essential elements of one head of the support wire bending and curling means and a portion of the filament positioning means at station B and at a time midway in the cycle of operation thereof.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of certain of the essential elements appearing in Fig. 11 in an exploded relation.

Fig. 14 is a vertical section through the mount-making apparatus at station C and in a direction toward the back side of one of the heads of said apparatus.

, Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the filament tensioning head located at station C.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the support wire spreading means located at station D in operative relation to a lamp mount, said view being modified by having the support wire spreading atstation E shown in dot-dash lines at approximately the position it assumes with respect to the lamp mount.

The following is a brief description of the general functions of the mount-making apparatus which i located at a succession of work stations A to E, inclusive, along a path 1 of movement of lamp stems 2, and which effects the mounting of filaments on said stems in steps during the successive periods the stems are located at each of said work stations. A carrier or conveyor 3, in part represented by the jaws 3' (Figs. 2 and 7) and advancing around the center platform 4, provides for the advance of the stems 2 in periodic indexing movements and fixes the stems at specific relations to work mechanisms located upon a table 5 underlying the center platform 4 and the path 1 of movement of said stems. In one preferred combination of apparatus the carrier or conveyor 3 also has the function of advancing the stems 2 to still other mount-making apparatus (not shown) at other work stations along the path 1 as disclosed in Flaws Patent 1,907,532 issued May 9, 1933, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. As in said prior apparatus, the stems 2 (Fig. 2) are advanced separately, each being arranged in an inverted position with its longitudinal axis vertical. Each stem 2 is also orientated so that open hooks 7 in the ends of a pair of leads 8 and 9 occurs when the carrier 3 advances the stem 2 to station A and to operative relation to the filament feeding and presenting mechanism 13 (Figs. 6 and 7) located outside the path 1 of movement thereof and to the hook clamping means of the attaching mechanism 14 located directly opposite and on the inside of said path 1. The feeding portion of the first mechanism 13 places opposite end portions of a straight length of a coiled filament 15 in the vacuum pickup blocks 16 of a pair of transfer arms 17, 17 of the presenting portion, which portion bends said filament 15 into a loop and lowers it into the hooks 7 in the leads 8 and 9 by horizontal and vertical movements of said arms 17, 17. The hook clamping means comprising the attaching mechanism 14 then'provides for the open hooks 7 in the leads 8 and 9 to be closed about the filament end portions, an operation which is performed after the mechanism is tilted into operative relation to the stem 2 from a retracted position inside the path 1 of movement thereof. Both mechanisms 13 and 14 at station A and those mechanisms at the subsequently taken stations along the path 1 are operated in timed relation to the motion of the stems 2 by operating means The next step in the mounting operation occurs when the filament loop attached to the stem 2 is pulled laterally away from the presenting mechanism 13 by the index of the carrier 3 so as to hang free from the leads 8 and 9. Further movement of the stem 2 causes the filament loop 15 to pass along the guide plate 19 and to be directed over onto the opposite side of the stem 2 from the leads 8 and 9 by the diagonal position of said guide plate 19 across said path 1. Still further positioning of the filament 15 occurs later in the operative step when the stem 2 is advanced to station B and the filament loop 15 passes onto the movable guide portion 20 of the filament placing mechanism 21 (Fig. 9). Overlapping operations of the various parts of the mounting mechanism 22 at station B and in combination with the operations of the placing mechanism 21 then guide the filament 15 over the two fingers 23 of the positioning means 24 and direct the filament 15 properly into the four heads 25 of the support wire bending and curling means 25. These operations are performed as the first step in the attachment of the four longer support wires 10 to spaced intermediate portions of the filament 15 by the mounting mechanism 22 at station E.

The guiding function of the placing mechanism 21 occurring at station B and the directing function of the positioning means 24 occurs when the movable guide portion 20 is swung back across said positioning means 24 and out from under the stem 2, and the fingers 23 of said means 24 are moved up and outward from the extended axis of the stem 2. The effect of these operations is to cause the filament loop 15 to be laid in the open notches 26 in the four heads 25' of the bending and curling means 25 and finally results in said filament 15 being arranged horizontally in the proper relation to all portions of said heads 25'. The bending and curling means 25 has the same upward movement as the positioning means 24 and in the course of said movement and subsequent motions both bends the longer support wires 10 down from the plane of the arbor button 27 to the plane of the hooks 7 in the leads 8 and 9 and curls the ends of the support Wires 10 about respective portions of the filament 15. The final movements in the cycle of operation of the apparatus at station B provide for the positioning means 24 and the bending and curling means 25, which comprise the mounting mechanism 22, to retract downward to a position clear of the path 1 of movement of the stem 2, and the movable guide portion 20 of the placing mechanism 21 to again swing back across the path 1 to a position in alignment with the end of the guide plate 19. The mount at this time appears as shown in Fig. 3. I

The next step in the mount-making operation effects the attachment of the four short support wires 11 to portions of the filament 15 and is brought about by the mounting mechanism 28 located at station C. Each of the support wires 11 is curled about a filament portion by a corresponding head 29 of the mounting mechanism 28 in much the same manner as performed by the bending and curling means 25 of the mounting mechanism 22 at station B except that said support wires 11 are allowed to remain at their original elevation in a plane including the arbor button 27 whereas the longer support wires 10 were bent down to a plane spaced therefrom. The final result of the curling operation taking place at station C is to cause the filament 15 to be supported in a roughly castellated form between support wires 10 and 11 in two spaced planes along the axis of the stem 2 as shown in Fig. 4.

'In most instances, it is also preferred that the form of the mount be adjusted after the support wires 10 and 11 have been released from the mounting mechanisms 22 and 28. The adjustment occurring in the instance shown in particular provides for the pairs of short support wires 11 at opposite sides of the mount to be bent farther apart by the upward movement of assume the spreading means at'station D, and the pair of long support wires directly opposite the leads 8 and 9 to be spread somewhat by the means located at station E. The effect of the forementioned support wire adjustment is to bring the curled ends of the long and short support wires 10 and 11 into essential alignment with the result that the filament is tightened and takes a square wave or casellated form as shown in Fig. 5.

This operation, which completes the manufacture of-the to a specific position at station A and the filament 15 is being received by the'transfer arms 17, 17 of the feeding and presenting mechanism 13 on the outer side of the path 1 of movement thereof at said station A. It is preferred that the filament 15 be fed to the transfer arms 17, 17 by automatic feeding means wherein a succession of filaments are in the process of being fed in step-by-step fashion along a plane horizontal surface and in the course of said advance are placed on said arms 17, '17 at the proper intervals. This type of feeding means, as more clearly shown and described in P. H. Durst et al. application, Serial No 234,628, filed lune 30, 1951, presents a flat table upon which the relatively lengthy coiled filaments 15 can be laid by an operator, and has a series of regularly notched racks 31 movable in regularly spaced slots in the table 31 for advancing said filaments 15. Guide rails 32 at opposite sides of the table 30 assist the operator in fixing the longitudinal position of the filaments 15 which are raised from the table 30 and which are then advanced with respect thereto by movements of the notched racks 31. These movements first lift the filamc r. 15' upward above the surface of said table 31) and then advance them forward along said surface. A downward movement of the notched racks 31 places the filaments upon the table 30 at an advanced position and carries the notched racks 31 to positions below the surface of said table 30 where they can return to their original position 4 without contacting said filaments. The most advanced filament 15 under these conditions is carried beyond the top surface of the table 39 and comes to rest in the position indicated by the dot-dash lines 15' wherein the center and adjacent portions rest upon the ledge 33 of the table 30 and end and immediately adjacent portions toward the center rest upon the gripping block 16 and the support pads 34, respectively, of the transfer arms 17, 17. At that time, the transfer arms 17, 17 are arranged about the center of the support shafts 35, 35 so as to be in direct alignment with each other and have the gripping blocks 16 and support pads 34 in substantially butting relation to the end ofthe top surface of the table 31 The filament presenting function of the feeding and presenting mechanism 13 is the next step in the cycle and is initiated by the application of a suction force at the base of the V notch in the gripping blocks 16 of each transfer arm 17 whereby the end portion of the filament located therein is securely held by said gripping blocks 16. The vacuum connection is made to each transfer arm 17 by pipe 36 and flexible rubber hose 37 which connect to a supply valve (not shown) controlled by a cam (also not shown) upon the main cam shaft 18 for the apparatus and is accordingly timed to draw at the proper moment upon the filament 15', which lies over a narrow connecting slit through said gripping block 16 and said transfer arm 17. The relative arrangement of the arms'17 is such that end portions of the t 6 filament 15 suitable for clamping in the hooks "'7 "of the leads 8 and 9 extend beyond the gripping blocks 16.

The presenting function of the mechanism 13 now provides for a short upward movement of, the arms 17 to lift the ends of the filament 15 to a plane above the elevation of the open ends of the hooks 7 in the leads 3 and 9 and thereby prepares said mechanism 1 3 for the immediately following swinging movements j of said arms 17 in a direction away from the 'table 30. These latter swinging movements have the dualfun'ction of carrying the filament ends extending beyond the gripping blocks 16 over said open hooks 7 an'dof'bending the filament 15 in a loop very generally like that it must assume in the completed mount.

Both the vertical and swinging movements of the'transfer arms 17 are effected by the support shafts 35 therefor, which are retained in a bearing 38 projecting from the table 30, and result from the timed actuationof'operat ing means in part located below the table 5 and'engagedby the cam shaft 18 (Fig. 8). The support shafts 35 are at all times at a vertical position determined by the operating means as the lower portions thereof extend through a flange on the angle bar 39 and areprevented from moving with respect thereto by fixed collars '40 upon said shafts 35 both above and below the flange. The angle bar 39, in turn, is fastened to a push rod 41 extending to a yoke 42 straddling the cam shaft 18 and fixed in position vertically by a sideward projecting roller (not shown) in a channel (also not shown) in the back face (Fig. 8) of the cam 43. The rotative position of the support shafts 35, which determines the relative position of the transfer arms 17, is controlled by the operating means through a rack 14 in engagement with a spur gear 45 on one of said shafts 35 and is changed by longitudinal movement of the rack 44 within an opening in the table 30in accordance with the vertical motion of a yoke .46 adjacent the 'near face (Fig. 8) of the cam 43 and connected through the push rod 47 and the bell crank 48 to said rack 44. A sideward projecting roller 49 on the yoke46 is located within the channel 50 in the cam 43 and fixes the position of all parts of the operating meanswhich moves, the rack 44 by rocking the bell crank 48 about a pin 51 retained by another portion of the table 30. The rotative motion introduced in the one shaft 35 by the spur gear 45 under these conditions is also transferred to the other shaft 35 of the mechanism 13 by the interconnection of meshing spur gears 52 on lower portions of said shafts 35.

The mechanism 13 finally completes the arrangement of the filament 15 at mounting relation with respect to the leads 3 and 9 when the transfer arms 17 are lowered by the operating means so that the ends of the filament projecting beyond the gripping blocks 16are carried into the open hooks 7 in said leads 8 and 9 and are again arranged at the elevation of the ledge 33 of the table 30 as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

Directly following operations provide for the hooks 7 to be closed upon the filament 15 by the attaching mechanism 14 and then cause the filament to be released by the transfer arms 17 by having the vacuum connection thereto opened to the atmosphere by operating means (not shown). Still further lowering movements of the transfer arms 17 carry them below the filament 15 whereupon rotative movements again occur carrying said transfer arms 17 toward the feeding portions of the mechanism 13 and again into position to receive a filament 15.

The hook clamping operation, which is brought about immediately upon presentation of the filament 15 at mounting relation to the leads 3 and 9, is the operative function of the mechanism 14 located opposite the feeding and presenting mechanism 13 on the inside of the path 1 of movement of the stem 2. At the time of its opera tion, the attaching mechanism 14 has been tilted forward from anoblique retracted position completely clear of said path 1 to an operative relation to the leads 8 and 9 of the stem 2 by movement about the pivot pin 53 carried 7 by the stationary base 54 on the table 5. This positioning movement introduces the anvil 55 between said leads 8 and 9 and advances corresponding jaws 56 and 57 to opposite sides thereof and to clamping relation to the hooks 7 in the ends of the said leads 8 and 9. The anvil 55, which is fastened to the main body 58 of the attaching mechanism 14, and the jaws 56 and 57, which are pivoted upon respective pins like that shown at 59 projecting from the main body 58, are tilted into position by a rotative movement of said body 58 about the pivot pin 53 when the push rod 60 applies a downwardly moving force to the slide 61. At that time, the body 58 and the slide 61, which is located in ways in the former, tilt as a unit since the contraction force of the helical spring 62 keeps the body 58 bearing against the shoulders 63 of the slide 61. The closing movement of the jaws 56 and 57, which clamp the books 7 upon the filament ends in the manner of the corresponding clamping mechanism in the Flaws Patent 1,907,532 hereinbefore referred to, is elfected when the body 58 has finally reached the full advanced position and has come to bear upon the end of the stop screw 64. Futher movement of the push rod 60 at such times moves the slide 61 correspondingly downward in the body 58 causing the wider portion of a cam 65 attached to said slide 61 to be forced between corresponding t rollers 66 on the jaws 56 and 57 and said jaws 56 and 57 to be turned about the pins 59. The closing motion of the jaws 56 and 57 expands the helical spring 67 located between posts in the ends of said jaws adjacent the cam 65, which spring 67 has heretofore pulled said jaws 56 and 57 to an open position.

The positioning and clamping operation of the mechanism 14 resulting from the downward movement of the push rod 60 are timed and controlled by operating means located below the table in combination with the cam shaft 18 (Fig. 8) and, like the operating means in combination with the previously described mechanism, is actuated by a cam 68 on said shaft 18. The push rod 66, which is connected at the upper end to the slide 61 by the link 69, maintains a vertical position determined by the relative position of the portion of the channel 70 in the cam which is engaged by a roller 71 on the yoke 72 at the lower end of said push rod 60 and immediately raises again to its upper position after reaching its lower limit of movement. This return movement opens the clamping jaws 56 and 57 and tilts the mechanism 14 to an oblique position out of the path 1 of movement of the stem 2.

The next occurring operations having to do with the stem 2 cause the filament which is now attached to said stem 2 to be brought into proper operative relation with the filament positioningmeans 24 associated with the mounting mechanism 22 at station B. These operations are effected in a relatively lengthy cycle of operation extending over the two index periods of the stem carrier required to advance the stem 2 to station B and a period overlapping the operation period of the mounting mechanism 22 at station B. The filament positioning operations are performed by the filament placing mechanism 21 extending along said path 1 from a position adja cent to station A to a position directly below the stem 2 at station B. The filament placing mechanism 21 first becomes effective when the indexing movement of the stem 2 pulls the filament 15 from the ledge 33 of the table of the feeding and presenting mechanism 13 at station A and during the course thereof causes said filament 15 to fall in a loop against guide plate 19 at a position ahnost directly below the ends of the leads 8 and 9. Further motion of the stem 2 in the presently referred to index and also in the next succeeding index, which effects the advance thereof to station B, slide: the filament loop along the guide plate 19 and, because of the angular position of said guide plate 19 across the path 1, causes said filament loop to be pulled over to the opposite side of the stem 2 from the leads 8 and 9. Finally, when the stem 2 is arriving at station B and in operative relation to the mounting mechanism 22 at said station, the filament loop slides onto the movable guide 20 located beyond the guide plate 19 and assumes the position shown in Fig. 11. Succeeding operations provide for the movable guide 20 to be moved upward and back across the longitudinal axis of the stem 2 and then still further to the side and result in the filament 15 being properly placed in the mounting mechanism 22 at station B. Inasmuch as these latter operations must occur in synchronism with the operations of said mounting mechanism 22, the explanation will be made together with the description of said mounting apparatus.

The mounting operations taking place at station B represent the first of two steps required to efiect the a tachment of the support wires 10 and 11 extending from the glass arbor 12 of the stem 2 to the filament loop 15 and have, in particular, to do with the supporting of portions of the filament loop 15 on the longer support wires 10 at the elevation of the hooks 7 in the leads 8 and 9 and, accordingly, at a materially spaced relation axially of the stem 2 and the present elevation of the longer support wires 10. The step performed at station E is dependent upon the cooperative functions of movable guide 20 of the filament placing mechanism 21, the filament positioning means 24 and the support wire bending and curling means 25 which make up the mounting mechanism 22 located at station 13. The first cooperative functions of the mechanisms 21 and 22 are effected by corresponding upward movements thereof which have the effect of causing the four curling and bending heads 25 making up the means 25 to advance to operative relation to the support wires 11 and causing the placing mechanism 21 and positioning means 24 to direct and align said filament 15 in said bending and curling heads 25. As shown by the representative head 25' in Fig. 11 of the drawing, the heads 25' of the bending and curling means 25 are arranged in the plane of the longer of the group of support wires 10 and 11 which extend at substantially thirty-degree intervals about the arbor 12 and are mounted upon respective brackets 75 fastened to the circular rim of a vertically movable platform 76. The movable guide 20 of the placing mechanism 21 also depends upon the platform 76 for support in that it is fastened to a hub 77 bearing against a fixed collar 78 upon a standard 79 attached to the rim of said platform 76. The filament positioning means 24, on the other hand, is mounted upon a rod 80 extending down through an operating sleeve 81 in the depending center bearing 82 of the support platform 76 and takes a position deter mined by the relative positions maintained'by the bearing 82, operating sleeve 81 and rod 80 at that particular moment.

Proper introduction of the filament 15 into each bending and curling head 25' requires that the filament loop pass over the horn 83 located on the end of the body 84 of said head 25' and enter the wide mouth of a notch 26 in the body 84 so as to be directed through the relatively narrow slit in the spool 85 and into the open core of the mandrel 86. The lower end of the filament loop is the first to take its proper position in the bending and curling heads 25 in that said loop is deflected by the movable guide 20 to a position where the loop end is directly over the notches 26 of the two bending and curling heads 25' on the opposite side of the stem 2 from the leads 8 and 9. Further upward movement of the mechanism 21 and the means 24 and 25, however, brings more of the filament 15 into the operative field thereof, a condition which is taken care of by retracting the movable guide 20 back across the axis of the stem 2 toward the plane of the leads 8 and 9 so that further extents of the filament loop are carried over the two fingers 23 of the positioning means 24 and then introduced into the notches 26 of the two bending and curling heads 25 on the lead wire side of the stem axis. Still further assistance to the proper arrangement of the filament 15 in the bending and "cnrlin'g heads 25' and the positioning'fingers '23 is provided 'by'jets of 'air directed across said heads '25 and said fingersl23 .from two air pipes '87 mounted upon the rim of the platform 76 and connected through flexible rubber hose 88 and piping 89 toathe air supply. The

air jets, which rise with the heads 25', are :produced under control of a cam'actuateduair-valving:means (not shown) in association-withlthe"main-cam'shaft18 and keep the filament 15 in a relatively :tight loop-with the excess-portions drawn downward atzpoints adjacent the leads s-and 9in much the same manner shown in Fig. .3. The retraction of 'the movable guide 20 continues occurs during the upward movement thereof and-is effected both bythe upward and supplementaloutward movementsof the two fingers 23 (Fig. 11),.the latter in a direction away from the axis of the stem 2. The filament 15, at that time, has been engaged by the sloping upper ends 94 of the fingers 23 and then by the notches 95 and is caught in said notches 95 and pulled outward by the movements thereofso that the intermediate portionof said filament 15 extends ina virtually straight path between the fingers 23 (Fig. 10) and so that the adjacent portions on opposite sides of said fingers 23 are in substantially straight paths directed toward the hooks 7 in the leads 8 and 9. This final arrangement of the filament portions facilitates the-passage of 'said portions into the narrow ends of the slots 26 in thebodies 84 of all bending and curling heads 25 during thecontinuing upward movement of said heads 25' so that said portions are carried to the base-of. said slots 26 when said motion is complete.

The two fingers 23 of the filament positioning means 24 are pivoted-on pinsv96 traversing radial slotsin the collar 97 upontheupper end of the rod 80 and aretmoved outward from an initial position wherein their pointed ends are near each other, aposition determined by the arrangement-of the larger lower end of the conical cam 93 behind the adjusting screws 99 in the lower -.ends'of said fingers 23. Corresponding helical springs 100.extending between the lower ends of the fingers 23.and a fixed flange upon-the rod 80- maintain said fingers23 at positions to cause the adjusting screws-99. to bear upon the conical cam 98 at all times. The conical cam 98, on the other hand, is slidable along the rod 80 and is, at the start of the cycle of operation, maintained at'a fixed position on said rod 80 by the contraction force of a helical spring 101 extending between posts in said cam 93 and the collar 97, which contraction force causes the cam 98 to butt against the stop screw- 102 in said collar 97.

The outward movment of the fingers 23 whereby they spread the filament 15 is brought about when the slotted wing 1 13 of the cam 98 has slid along the stationary post 104 during the upward movement until it .bears against wings of a plate 105 attached to said post104- and said cam 93 is prevented from moving upward with the rod 8!? and said fingers 23. Under these conditions, the continuing upward motionof the fingers 23 advances the screws 99 on the lower ends thereof onto the smaller diameter upper portion of the cam 98. The'upper limit of the'motion of the fingers 23 of the filament positioning 1neans24 is reached when the slottedv wing .106 onfthe collar 97 bears against the block 107 on the upper end 'of the stationary post 104. The upper limit of the motion of the bendingandcurling heads '25" has not, however,

been reached at the described moment as they still have to be moved up until the mandrels 86 are in alignment withithe notches in the fingers #23.

The difference between the movements of the positioningfirneans 24 land the bending and curling means 25 is absorbed :in the operating means which has heretofore -caused the rod 89 and the sleeve 81 to move as a unit limit of motion vof'the bending and. curling'heads 25' is reached when the stop-nuts 111 onthe lowerends of'four posts 1-12;(only one appearing in thedrawing) depending from peripheralpor-tions of the platform 76 seat. against the lower ends of stationary sleeves 113 surrounding said -posts112. The sleeves 113 also function as stationary .:rests for the lower ends of helical springs 114 located about'each of .the posts 112 and'to that end are secured in openings inraportion of the table-5 which has a well for accommodating the platform 76.

The initiating force, for effecting the described positioning and subsequent occurring operations of mechanism .zland means 24 and 25'at station B and as here- .inbefore described as occurring with upward motion of the platform 76,..is brought about by a.-single operating means in association with the-cam 115 (Fig. 8) on the camshaft 18 and engaging the lower end of the sleeve 81 by.means ofthe block 116. The operating means main- .tainspositive control over the position of'the sleeve 81, at all times, .through the-vertical movements of the operating lever 117 which has its outerend in engagement with a pin 118 extending from the block 116 and which is oscillatedtabout the pivot pin 119 in the stationary bracket 120 on the lower surface of the table 5 at its opposite end in accordance with the position of the portionof the cam channel 121 engaged by the roller 122 at a mid-portion of said operating lever 117. During the operating interval previously described, the upward motion of the sleeve 81 coincides with the movement of the platform 76 in that the expansion pressure of the helical springs 114. about the rim of said platform 76 causes it'tobe pressed against the under surface ofthe relatively large flange 123 on the upper end of said sleeve .31. Succeeding periods of operation effect still further :upwardmotion in the sleeve, S1 to cause theheads 25 is restricted in'its movement by the stop nuts 111 on the posts 112. I

The lead bending and curlingoperations of the heads 25', which are the next to occur in the manufacturing cycle, cause the support wires 10 to be bent down to the-plane of the filament 15.and then cause said support wires 19 to again be bent so that respective portions extendaxially of the arbor button ZTand laterally in the plane of thefilament 15. Each support wire 10 is bent by-corresponding operations of one of the heads 25, compn'sing the means 25 and, as shown in detail in the one instanceshownin Figs. l1, l2 and 13 of the drawing, is forced downward by the movements of the notched finger 125 against an intermediate portion thereof.

128 of the head 25' upward. The rotation of the depressor arm 126 corresponds to the upward motion of the operating plunger 128 at such times in that the laterally projecting ear 129 upon said depressor arm 126 is caused to bear against, and follow upward, the dog 130 on the operating plunger 128 by the constant turning force of the expansion of a helical spring 131 extending between an opposite ear on said arm 126 and a stationary spring post on the body 84 of the head 25. Prior to this interval, the expansion force of a second helical spring 132 located about a midportion of the operating plunger 128 at a position between a portion of the body 84 and the larger lower end of said plunger 128 has kept the said plunger 128 in a full down position wherein the depressor arm 126 is in a substantially vertical position, as shown in Fig. 11. The pressure of the depressor finger 125 causes the support wire to bend downward at a point adjacent the arbor button 27 and at the same time pushes the extending end thereof down between the control finger 133 and the face plate 134 over the end of the body 84 and into engagement with the mandrel 86.

At the particular moment of and without interrupting the still further motion of the depressor arm 126, the control finger 133, which is in the form of a leaf spring attached at the opposite end to the body 84, is forced toward said body 84 so that the support wire 10 is forced against the end face 135 of the curling spool 85 and the end portion of said support wire 10 is pushed even further toward the body 84 to a position to be caught by the projecting shoulder 136 on said spool 85. The normal position of the support wire control finger 133 is at a location spaced somewhat from the plane of the spool 85 and it is not until the upward movement of the operating plunger 128 advances the oblique portion of the upper end 137 thereof sufiiciently against the floating arm 138 therebetween that said control finger 133 is caused to press against the support wire 10.

The function of the upper end 137 of the operating plunger 128 is to wedge the arm 138 toward the body 84 so that said arm 138 turns about the axis of the screw 139 and causes the screw 140 to force the control finger 133 into position. The further motion of the depressor arm 126 after operation of the control finger 133 indents the intermediate portion of the support wire 10 extending between the arbor button 27 and the mandrel 86 to the extent that said support wire 10 is bent permanently to a shape wherein one portion extends nearly parallel with the arbor 12 to substantially the plane of the filament and an end portion lies nearly perpendicular thereto in substantially the plane of the mandrel 86 and said filament 15. This latter perpendicular end portion of the support wire 10 passes to the outside of the horn 141 on the control finger 133 inasmuch as the free end of the control finger 133 angles in toward the body 84 and the top end of the horn 141 is also bent toward said body 84. The extent to which the support wire 10 is bent is determined by the extent of the movement of the depressor arm 126 and is fixed by the amount of movement occurring in said depressor arm 126 before the ear 129 seats against the end of the stop screw 142 in a portion of the body 84. At that particular moment the depressor arm 126 also sets the bend in the support wire 19 at a point adjacent the arbor button 27 by carrying the end of the finger 143 against said support Wire 10.

The support wires 10 are now curled around respective portions of the filament 15 by continuing operation of the heads an operation which is effected by aproximately 1 /2 turns of the curling spools 85 thereof. As shown in the head 25 appearing in the drawing, the curling spool 85 is mounted for rotation about the mandrel 86 which extends from the face of the body 84 and is partly confined in a pocket behind the face plate 134 on the forward end of the body 84. The rotative position of the curling spool 85, on the other hand, is under .12 the control of a gear segment 145 meshing with the spur gear portion 146 of said spool enclosed in a pocket in the face plate 134 and at the start of the curling operation must be positioned so that the longitudinal slot therein is located so as to allow the filament 15 to pass into the central opening in the mandrel 86. At that particular time, a counterclockwise rotating force applied to the gear segment causes said gear segment 145 to be held at a rotative position about the stub shaft 127 where it bears against the end of the screw 139 (Fig. 11). The support wire curling function of the spool 85 is effected when said spool 85 is turned in a counterclockwise direction by movement of the gear segment 145 about an intermediate portion of the stud 127 and is initiated only after approximately ninety degrees of rotation of the spool 85 has caused the shoulder 136 thereon to be turned to a position to bear against the free end of the support wire 10 extending beyond the side of the mandrel 86. Approximately one and one quarter turns of the spool 85 follows under the impetus of still further motion of the gear segment 145 with the result that the support wire 10 is wrapped about the mandrel 86 sufficiently to lock the filament 15 securely in a loop of said support wire 10.

The timed rotation of the gear segment 145 is effected in the manner of the previously described portions of the bending and curling heads 25' by the upward motion of the operating plungers 128 and occurs when the continuing upward motion advances the roller 147 on a pin in an upper end portion thereof against the actuating arm 148 and turns said arm 148 in a clockwise direction about the stud 127. This rotative movement of the actuating arm 148 occurs against the contraction pull of a helical spring 149 extending between the end thereof and a spring post extending from the lower portion of the body 84 and is converted to a corresponding motion in the gear segment 145 in that the cushioned driving means coupling said actuating arm 148 and said gear segment 145 together is normally inactive. At such times, the uncoiling tendency of the torsion spring 150 of the cushioned driving means, which spring 150 is located about the stud 127, produces a turning moment in the gear segment 145 and the actuating arm 148 through its engagement with the spring posts 151 and 152 extending from said segment 145 and said arm 148 and is able to maintain the said segment 145 and the said arm 148 at a rotative relation wherein the post 151 bears against one end of the arcuate slot 153 in the arm 148. The strength of the torsion spring 150 is, however, not great enough to prevent relative movement of the gear segment 145 and the actuating arm 148 when the curling spool 85 resists rotation abnormally, as for instance when the filament 15 is improperly located within the slot 26 or the support wire 10 is improperly wedged in the head 25, and will allow the actuating arm 148 to turn without causing a corresponding movement of the gear segment 145 under conditions which would wedge the curling spool 85 in the apparatus and which could damage said curling spool 85. When the actuating arm 148 turns independently of the gear segment 145, the spring post 151 in effect moves back in the arcuate slot 153 in said arm 148.

The curling function of the head 25' completes the operations performed upon the stem parts by the bending and curling means 25 and is followed immediately by a cycle of movements of the heads 25 in reverse order to that just described and returning the part of said heads 25, to their original retracted position away from the stem 2. The first step in the return movement of the heads 25 is efiiected by a return downward movement of the operating plunger 128 of each head 25' under control of the operating means and consists in reverse movements of the curling spool 85, the depressor arm 126 and the control finger 133 carrying them to their initial positions within each head 25'. The clock- 13 wise rotation of "the curling spool 85 at such times causes the looped end portion of the support Wire to be shifted laterally to the end of the mandrel 86 inasmuch as the thicker "shoulder'1'36 of the spool 85 is brought to a position opposite the main portion of the support wire 10. This operation can be effected without bending the free end ofsaid supportwire 10'as said end passed to the outside of the control finger 133 in the course of being wrapped about the'mandrel 86. The

return movementof the depressor arm 126 separates the notched finger 125 from the support wire it) and accordingly permits the entire'support Wire 10 to be sprung and curling means 25 so that said means 25 is free to move downward toa'retractedposition below the now partially completed mount onthe stem 2 in the next .step in the cycle of operation. The two fingers 23 of the filament positioning means 24 also separate from the filament during the retraction interval and in so doing first move in toward the extended longitudinal axis of the stem2 and then move down to a position (Fig. 11)

to start another cycle of operation. The return motions of the filament positioningmeans 24- are the reverse of its prior operative functions and accordingly are produced in the normal functions of the return movements 4 of said means24. A H

The filament placing mechanism 21, on the other hand, has a delayed return movement causing the movable guide to swing over to proper'operative relation to the other apparatus at station B only after it has 7 been partially lowered to its original-operative posi tion and is clear of the excess filament'15 adjacentthe leads 8 and 9. This delay in the return swing ofthe movable guide 20 occurs shortly after said movable guide 20 starts to retract downward and is effected when the rotation of said movable guide 20, occurring as the arm 90 slides along the cam rod 91, and turns the hub 77 sufficiently for the notch 156 in the periphery thereof to receive the spring finger 155. The pressure of the spring finger 155 which is attached to a collar 157 fast on the standard 79 is sufiicient to hold the movable guide 20 from moving further until the downward motion of the mechanism 21 causes the arm 90 to engage a'sec- 0nd cam 158 and be forced to turn thereby. The mechanism 21 and the means 24 and 25 located at station B are now at positions to start another cycle of operation like that described and thestem 2 previously associated with the operations thereof is in the process of being replaced by the indexing movements 'of the carrier 3. I

The next occurring mount making operations to. be performed are the result of operations of the support wire curling mechanism 28 located at station C, which operations lift portions of the filament 15 located adjacent the short support wires 11 tothe elevation of the arbor butten 27 and which curl said short supportwires 11 about said portions. The lifting of the portion of the filament 15 adjacent each support wire 11 and the curling of each support wire 11 about said portion are performed by one of the four curling heads 29 initially located below and in the vertical planes through the support wires 11 and are brought about in combination with the operation of a filament tensioning head 159 located between the two curling heads 29 at opposite sides of the stem 2. The curling heads 29 and filament tensioning head 159 are mounted upon a vertically movable platform 76' corresponding to the platform 76 at station B and in the course of their'operation are raised up to an operative position with reference to the stem 2 and then, afteran interval, are again lowered to a position below the 'path of motion of said stem 2 to and from station C. The

130""611 the" upper end of the plunger 128".

types of incandescent lamps.

curling h'eads 29 *afe essential duplicates of thebendirig' and curling heads 25 at station B and are accordingly referred to in a general sense directed to the essential portions thereof indicated by primed numbers corersponding to those used in the' description of the prior bending and curling heads 25. Corresponding operating means is also provided in combination with each curling mechanism 28'which initiates the cycle of operation in its upward movement to operative relation to the support wires 11. This upward motion of the curling mechanism 28 is caused by a corresponding movement of the platform 76' upon which the heads 29 are mounted, and carries said heads 29 upward'to the extent that the portions of the filament 15 extending between the loops of the longer support wires 10 are brought into the open notches 26' therein and, in'the course of being lifted to operative relation to the shorter support wires 11, are carried through the slot in the curling spools (not shown) and into theope'n core of the'mandrels (not shown) of said heads 29. The additional length of filament 15 required upon such occasions isprovided by the loose portions of filament 15 located adjacent the leads 8 and 9 and is pulled through loops of the longer support 'wires 10 ad. jacent said leads Sand 9 to its proper position in the mount structure.

The 'next operation of theheads29 causes the depress'o'r arms (not shown) to move the notched fingers 143' against the support wires 11 'so that said wires'll are pressed properly against'the mandrels thereof and parallels'a corresponding operation 'of'the arm 126" (Fig. 15) ofthe filament tensioning head 159, which move- "ment lowers the end of said arm 126" against the approximate center of the filament 15 at a point between the support wiresll so that any excess in filament length is absorbed at this point. The arm 126"'is pivoted upon a'stud 127" extending from a body 84" and is directly actuated in cooperation with the spring 131"'by the dog A stop screw 142 retained 'by the body 84" establishes the possible limit of motion of the arm 126". The following operations provide for the rotative motions of the spools ofthe heads 29 under the control of the gear segments 145 so that the free ends of said support wires ll'are curled around the filament 15. As in the previously described apparatus, the depressor arms and the gear segments 145' of the heads 29 and the arm 126 of the head 159 are operated by the upward movement of a flange 123' upon the operating sleeve'Sl against the operating plungers 128 and 128" of respective heads 29 and 159, respectively. The motion of the operating sleeve 81 is, like the upward motion of the platform 76, effected by operating means in associated with a cam 'upon'the main cam shaft 18. The lower end of the operating sleeve 81' has attached thereto a block 116' connected to an operatinglever 117' adjacent the face of the cam 115 and is moved vertically to operate the mechanism 28 when the position of the operating lever 117' is changed about the pivot pin 119 in the stationary bracket 120" by the engagement of a roller 122' with dififerent portions of the channel 121' in said cam 115'. A return downward movement of the operating sleeve 81 and the platform 76 turns the curling spool (not shown) of the heads 29 back to their original position, raises the depressor arm, pushes the coiled ends of the support wires 11 from the mandrels by means of a control finger (not shown). The arm 126 of the filament tensioning head 159 is likewise moved during this interval. Finally, when the operating sleeve 81' completes its motion, the heads 29 and 159 are lowered clear of the mount on the stem 2 to complete the cycle of operation of the mechanism 28.

The filament mount appears as shown in Fig. 4 after the completion of the second support wire curling operation occurring at station C and is suitable for many However, it is preferred that the support wires 10 and 11 be relocated so that the filament 15 assumes a castellated form in which it is arranged in a series of connected essentially square waves (Fig. The relocation of the support wires and 11 also provides a ready means of absorbing variations in lengths between various batches of filaments 15 and minor differences in the lengths of filaments 15 for small voltage differences. The preferred castellated filament form requires that pairs of long and short support wires 10 and 11, respectively, be located one above the other at equidistantly-spaced points, in one particular instance at seventy-degree intervals, about the axis of the stem 2 and accordingly requires the relocation of certain of said long and short support wires 10 and 11 inasmuch as they extend from the arbor button 27 at thirtydegree intervals.

The first step in the rearrangement is brought about at station D along the path 1 of the stem 2 and relates to the rebending of the short support wires 11 at points adjacent the arbor button 27 to cause the filament holding loops therein to fall at the proper angular relation to the stern arbor 12. The specific location assumed by the short support wires 11 is determined by the shape and position of the corresponding wedges 160 and 16.1 (Fig. 16) which are arranged to be forced up between the pairs of said shorter support wires 11 at opposite sides of the stem 2 by movements of the push rod 162 and which engage said pairs of support wires 11 at positions adjacent the stem button 27. The wedges 160 and 161 bend the two short support wires 11 on the opposite side of the stem 2 from the leads 8 and 9 each approximately ten degrees closer together and the other two short support wires 11, each approximately thirty degrees toward the respective lead 8 or 9 and accordingly into vertical alignment with the longer support wire 10 adjacent said lead 8 or 9.

The cycle of operation of the means at station D also provides for a V-shaped backing member 163 to be moved horizontally to a position over the short support wires 11 to prevent them from being bent out of position vertically. Operation of the wedges 160 and 161 and the backing member 163, which is mounted on the slide 164, is effected by rotation of the cam 165 upon the cam shaft 18 and means engaging a face channel (not shown) and the periphery thereof, respectively. The first operation to occur is that having to do with the backing member 163, which is connected to the slide 164 by the arm 166, and is brought about through the interconnected system comprising the link 167, the bell crank 168 oscillating about a pivot pin 169 retained by a stationary part (not shown) of the apparatus, the

connecting bar 170 and the operating lever 171. This first operation occurs when a channel in the face of the cam 165 and engaged by a roller 172 on the operating lever 171 causes it to be turned about the stationary pivot pin 173. The operation of the wedges 160 and 161 and push rod 162, on the other hand, occurs when the offset lower portion 174 of said push rod 162 is moved vertically in bearings (not shown) by an operating lever 175 engaging through the pin 176, the block 177, on said offset lower rod portion 174 and engaging the periphery of the cam 165 through the roller 178. A helical spring 17? extending between the lever 175 and the support bracket 180 for the pivot pin 181 of said lever 175 keeps the system biased so that the roller 178 constantly bears against the cam 165.

The final step in the reformation of the filament mount occurs at station E, the next station to which the stem 2 is advanced, and provides for the two longer support wires 10 diametrically opposite the leads 8 and 9 to be separated to positions directly below the'adjacent short support wires 11. This particular support wire relocation operation is performed by forcing the wedge 181 horizontally between a lower portion of the vertical extent of the specific long support wires 10 as indicated in Fig. 16 to cause each of the filament holding loops thereof to be moved approximately twenty degrees farther around the axis of the stem 2. The motion of the wedge 181, which is mounted upon and accordingly moves with the slide 164, completes the mount reforming operations and in the instance illustrated arranges pairs of long and short support wires 10 and 11, respectively, at three approximately seventy-degree intervals about the arbor button 27 and at substantially equal intervals with respect to the leads 8 and 9.

While we have described a preferred embodiment of our invention, we do not wish to be limited to the details of structure shown as it will be understood that many modifications of the precise manner by which our invention is carried into effect may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a mount making machinecomprising a stem holder for holding in vertical position a stem having an arbor projecting downwardly with a plurality of support wires radiating laterally outward therefrom and a pair of leads extending generally downward from said stem beyond said arbor with an elongated filament connected at its ends to said leads, means to index said stem holder along a fixed path to a plurality of stations including a station whereat the stem is received with the filament hanging downward from said leads in the form of a loop, bending and curling mechanisms at said station under the path of said stern, said bending and curling mechanisms being mounted for movement upward and including a plurality of curling devices engageable with the filament at a plurality of spaced points along said loop and also including a bending device comprising finger means associated with each curling device, and actuating means operable to effect movement of said curling devices upward to engage the filament and then lift it at said spaced points to the approximate elevation of the lower ends of said leads and including means operable to then actuate the said finger means of the bending devices to bend respective support wires downward to bring the free ends thereof across the filament and into operative relation to the respective curling devices and also including means operable to actuate said curling devices to curl the said free ends of the support wires about the filament.

2. In a mount making machine comprising a stem holder for holding in vertical position a stem having an arbor projecting downwardly with a plurality of support wires radiating laterally outward therefrom to one side of a vertical plane through the axis of said stem and a pair of leads extending generally downward from said stem beyond said arbor at the opposite side of said vertical plane and with an elongated filament connected at its ends to said leads, means to index said stem holder along a fixed path to a plurality of stations including a station whereat the stem is received with the filament hanging downward from said leads in the form of a loop, guide means extending generally along said fixed path under said holder and between the aforesaid station and a preceding station but intersecting said path to engage the filament loop and urge it to a position where the bottom thereof is located at the same side of said vertical plane as said support wires, bending and curling mechanisms at said station under the path of said stem, said bending and curling mechanisms being .mounted for movement upward and including a plurality of curling devices engageable with the filament at a plurality of spaced points along said loop and also including a bending device comprising finger means associated with each curling device, and actuating means operable to effect movement of said curling devices upward to engage the filament and then lift it at said spaced points to the approximate elevation of thelower ends of said leads and including means operable to then-actuate the said finger means of the 17 bending devices to bend respective support wires downward to bring the free ends thereof across the filament and into operativerelation tn the respective curling devices and also including means operable to actuate said curling devices to curl thesaid free ends of the support wires about the filament.

3; In a mount making machine comprising a stem holder for holding in vertical position a stem having an arbor projecting downwardly with a plurality of support wires radiating laterally outward therefrom and a pair of leads extending generally downward from said stem beyond said arbor with an elongated filament connected at its ends to said leads, means to index said stem holder along a fixed pathto a plurality of stations including a station whereat the stem is received with the filament hanging downward from said leads in the form of a loop, bending and curling mechanisms, at said station under the path of said stern, said mechanisms being mounted for movement upward andincluding a plurality of curling devices eng-ageable with the filament at a plurality of spaced points along said loop and also including a bending device comprising finger means associated with each curling device, and actuating means operable to efiect movement of said curling devices upward to engage the filarhentand then lift it at said spaced points to the approximate elevation of the lower ends of said leads and including means operable to then actuate the said finger means of the bending devices to bend respective support wires downward to bring the free ends thereof across the filament and into operative relation to the respective curling devices and also including means operable to actuate said curling devices to curl the said free ends of the support wires about the filament, additional curling mechanism at a succeeding station and located under the path of said stem, said additional curling mechanism being mounted for movement upward including a plurality of curling devices engageable with the filament at spaced points other than the aforesaid spaced points, and actuating means operable to efiect movement of said additional curling mechanism upward to engage the filament and then lift it at said other spaced points to the elevation of the free ends of remaining ones of said laterally extending support wires and to bring the curling devices into engagement with respective ones of said support wires and including means operable to actuate said curling devices to curl the said free ends of the support wires about said filament.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a stern holder for holding in vertical position a stem having an arbor projecting downwardly with a plurality of support wires radiating laterally outward therefrom and located generally at one side of a vertical plane through the stern axis and a pair of leads extending generally downward from said stem beyond said arbor and located at the other side of said vertical plane and an elongated filament connected at its ends to said leads and hanging downward therefrom in the form of a loop, of mounting apparatus located below said stem holder and including a plurality of bending and curling heads and positioning means mounted for upward movement, said bending and curling heads each including a movable bending finger and a curling device, said bending and curling heads being mounted in angularly spaced relation about the vertical axis through said stem holder, said positioning means comprising a pair of fingers each located between an endmost bending and curling head and the next adjacent intermediate head, actuating means operable to efiect upward movement of said bending and curling heads and positioning fingers and movement of said fingers outwardly away from said vertical axis, the said heads and fingers being so arranged that the lower end of the filament loop is first engaged by the curling device of an intermediate head and by the ends of said positioning fingers andtze outward movement of said fingers stretches the filament out horizontally to bring 18 other portions thereof into alignment with the curling devices of the ascending endmost heads so as to be engaged thereby, means operable to t! E2311 actuate the said bending fingers to bendrespective support wires downward to bring the free ends thereof downward and into operative relation to the curling devices of respective heads, and means operable to actuate said curling devices to curl the said free ends of the support wires about the filament.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 and including means for moving said holder along a horizontal path into registry with said mounting apparatus, and guide means extending generally along said path under said holder but'intersecting said path to engage the filament loop and urge it to a position where the bottom thereof is located at the same side of said vertical plane as said support wires, said guide means including a terminal portion located over said mounting apparatus, means mounting said terminal for movement upward with the said positioning fingers, and means for retracting said terminal portion of the guide horizontally during the upward movement of said positioning fingers.

6. Mount making apparatus comprising a vertically arranged actuating spindle having a flange at its upper end, means for actuating said spindle vertically, a supporting platform having a hub portion enclosing said spindle, spring means resiliently urging said platform upward into engagement with the flange on said spindle for movement therewith, a plurality of bending and curling heads arranged generally radially about the periphery of said platform, said heads each being provided with an upwardly opening filament-receiving slot and including a support wire curling spool at the base of said slot and means engageable by the flange of said spindle for actuating said spool, said heads each also including a support wire bending finger mounted thereon for pivotal movement in a vertical plane and actuating means engageable by the flange of said spindle for effecting said pivotal movement, filament placing means comprising finger means extending upwardly to the general level of said curling spools and located between adjacent ones of said heads, a vertical rod extending through said spindle, spring means resiliently coupling said rod to said sleeve for vertical movement therewith, said finger means being mounted at the upper end of said rod for pivotal movement in a vertical plane and outwardly of the axis of said rod, cam means slidably mounted at the upper end of said rod and resiliently coupled thereto and engageable with said finger means to effect said outward movement thereof, a first stop means arranged to arrest upward movement of said platform and the heads thereon after a predetermined interval, a second stop means arranged to arrest upward movement of said cam means to cause pivotal movement of said placing finger means prior to termination of the upward movement of said platform, and a third stop means arranged to arrest upward move ment of said rod when the ends of said fingers have reached a predetermined elevation, the subsequent move ment of said spindle carrying its flange into operative engagement with the actuating means for said bending finger and said curling spool.

7. In apparatus of the class described, a bending and curling mechanism comprising a body portion having therein an upwardly opening slot for receiving a portion of a filament, a curling spool mounted for rotation at the base of said slot, a bending finger supported from said body portion and mounted for pivotal movement in a vertical plane to bend a support wire downward into engagement with said spool, means for raising said head to a predetermined elevation to receive a filament in said slot, and means for then eifecting pivotal movement of said bending finger and subsequent rotation of said curling spool to bend said support wire and to curl it about said filament.

8. In a machine for assembling a lamp mount comprising a stem having, when held vertically, an arbor pro jecting downwardly and axially of the stem and with a plurality of long and shortsupport wires radiating horizontally outward from the lower end of the arbor, said support wires being located to one side of a vertical plane including the axis of the stem and with the long and short support wires in alternating relationship around said axis, a pair of lead wires extending generally downward from the stem and terminating at a level below the lower end of said arbor and at the opposite side of said vertical plane from that occupied by said support wires, and an elongated filament connected at its ends to the lower ends of said lead wires and hanging downwardly therefrom in loop form, the combination of a stem holder for holding the stem in said vertical position, means to index said stem holder along a fixed path to a plurality of stations, means at one of said stations for lifting the filament to a position at approximately the level of the lower ends of said lead wires with the filamentarranged generally concentric with the axis of the stem, means at said station for bending the long support wires downwardly into engagement with the filament at spaced points therealong and means for curling the ends of said wires about the filament, and means at a subsequent station for grasping portions of the filament between successive points of engagement by said long support wires and lifting those portions to a higher level in proximity to the respective short support wires and means for curling the'ends of said short support wires about the filament, and means for actuating the aforesaid lifting, bending and curling means in proper time relation. t

9. In a machine for assembling a lamp mount comprising a stem having, when held vertically, an arbor projecting downwardly and axially of the stem and with a plurality of long and short support wires radiating horizontally outward from the lower end of the arbor, said support wires being located to one side of a vertical plane including the axis of the stem and including at least one pair of short support wires located between a pair of long support wires, a pair of lead wires extending generally 20 V, downward from the stem and terminating at a level below the lower end of said arbor and at the opposite side of said vertical plane from that occupied by said support wires, and an elongated filament connected at its ends to the lower ends of said lead wires and hanging downwardly therefrom in loop form, the combination of a stem holder for holding the stem in said vertical position, means to index said stem holder along a fixed path to a plurality of stations, means at one of said stations for lifting the filament to a position at approximately the level of the lower ends of said lead wires with the filament arranged generally concentric with the axis of the stem, means at said station for bending the long support wires downwardly into engagement with the filament at spaced points therealong and means for curling the ends of said wires about the filament, and means at a subsequent station for grasping portions of the filament between successive points of engagement by said long support wires and lifting those portions to a higher level in proximity to the respective short support wires and means for curling the ends of said short support wires about the filament, and means at another station for spreading apart horizontally said short support wires to bring the curled ends thereof into closer vertical alignment with the curled ends of said long support wires and thereby minimize the slack in the filament between said support wires, and means for actuating the aforesaid lifting, bending and curling means in proper time relation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,752,828 Zabel Apr. 1, 1930 1,791,378 Regenstreif Feb. 3. 1931 1,907,532 Flaws May 9, 1933 2,208,970 Geiger July 23, 1940 2,454,318 Hayes Nov. 23, 1948 2,597,354 Maloney May 20, 1952 2,626,637 Coughlin Jan. 27, 1953 2,641,286 Quinn et a1. June 9, 1953 

